Ice hockey players aren’t typically known for baring much skin—layered up in heavy jerseys and, for goalies, full-on body armour, they rarely get the chance to show off. But the San Jose Sharks have found a fun new way to celebrate wins that’s catching attention: shirtless post-game honours featuring a massive shark tooth necklace.
Thanks to right-winger Ryan Reaves, the Sharks have introduced a playful new tradition where the team’s standout performer of the game is rewarded with the symbolic necklace—and they must go “no tarp”, as Reaves puts it. That’s shirtless, for the uninitiated.
In a sport where locker room speeches sometimes offer the only glimpse of shirtless athletes, this move brings a little more eye candy to the ice hockey world. Reaves’ idea also gives hockey players a moment to shine off the rink, joining the ranks of shirtless basketball and football stars often seen gracing social media and ad campaigns.
The first recipient of the necklace was 19-year-old centre Macklin Celebrini, who had a breakout night by scoring all three goals in the Sharks’ 3-2 win over the Utah Mammoth. His performance and bare chest definitely turned heads.
Celebrini is proving to be a generational talent, already tallying 30 points in just 20 games. That makes him only the fourth teenager in NHL history to do so, joining elite company with Mario Lemieux, Sidney Crosby, and Wayne Gretzky.
With stats like that, fans can expect to see a lot more of Celebrini—and his shirtless celebrations—in the future.
The Sharks’ quirky new ritual joins a long list of sporting celebrations. The Seattle Mariners, for instance, award a massive trident to any player who hits a home run. And who could forget Aaron Rodgers’ iconic “Discount Double Check” belt celebration in the early 2010s?
For now, the San Jose Sharks’ shirtless shark tooth tradition seems like it’s here to stay—and fans aren’t complaining.
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